


Walking on a Dream

by myvminnies



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff and Angst, IT'S GONNA GET SAD JUST WARNING YOU, M/M, i'll add more tags as we go on, taeil is forgetful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-02-12 17:31:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12964680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myvminnies/pseuds/myvminnies
Summary: Johnny, with not much of a path paved before him, meets a passionate Moon Taeil in a small, quiet cafe in the midst of the vast and fast-paced city in which they live. Whatever Johnny may have in store for the future is at the palm of Taeil's hand.





	1. Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Memories take hold of a very important aspect in our lives, as they stick to our brain and we reminisce them whenever there's any spare time. Memories being so important, losing them is critical. The more of them we lose, the more of ourselves is lost.

———— ❁ ————  
Chapter 1

At the edge of the fatefully old city in which the soon-to-be-told-story takes place, a rundown café laid idly under the setting sun. The orange and pink hues of the sky hit against the old and worn shingles of the rooftop, the remaining scarce varnish causing a faint shine from the sun’s rays. The sign at the front read _Moon Café_ , visibly old as the ink began to fade and made the sign difficult to read. The entrance bell only sounded a few times a day, dangling against the air waiting to be rung with a single swing of the door and an arriving customer. The café’s _“open”_ sign had a long overdue led display, the neon lights flickering with the beat of the vintage radio tuned and laying at the edge of the counter. The tables were cleaned until they reflected brightly against the sun’s light searing through the window’s halfway-folded blinds, dust particles evident in the air dancing in a frenzy alongside the blowing winds of the wobbling ceiling fan.

It was later that day when an unfamiliar customer stumbles in just as the sun had set and the city lights beamed, overshadowing the tiny corner café. The moon and the sky's dim obsidian horizon made the city lights contrast with it beautifully, as if painting on a beautiful real-life canvas. Gazing from left to right, a tall man who had just entered waits silently by the door, combing through his brown hair, running his fingers through his lengthy bangs. In a few moments a curious head pops out from one of the walls, and with that a shorter figure greets him with a smile and walks him over to a table enthusiastically, holding a decorative menu in his hands. His hair was dyed a reddish shade, a trim being a  _bit_ overdue. His fidgety fingers reach into the pockets of the apron wrapped around his lower waist to pull out a petite notebook and pen.

 

“Hello! What can I get for you this evening?”

 

The server had a soft and pleasant voice, rather quiet and almost blending in with the faint music playing from the counter’s radio. The customer once again ran another finger through his hair and glanced at the menu, rather unfamiliar with the options. Thinking for a moment, he recalled the chalkboard sign at the entrance that contained a number of specials written with slightly messy handwriting and an array of different chalk colors. He’d eventually come up with an order in his mind after thinking it over multiple times and proceeded to make his order.

 

“I’ll have the house latté, please.”

 

The server instantly jotted that down into the notebook with a focused look, and gazed back at the customer with a smile, nodding as if stating if he wanted anything else. The customer finished off his order with the daily special which was a small pastry, as described by the server. He handed him the tattered-up menu and he took it to the counter, immediately beginning to prepare the order. Sitting in the café was rather still, calming yet almost awkward since it was so small and practically empty with the lack of customers chatting and sipping lavishly on a cup of piping hot coffee. As he waited, the customer tapped his fingers against the spotless and untouched table he was seated at,  seeing his own reflection through the glass top.  _Hey there, handsome..._

It didn't take long until the server returned with a cutely decorated mug in his hand, the foamy cream top of the latté stylized to form a heart. In his other hand was a similarly designed plate with a pastry laying on it. The customer examined his order then looked up again at the server, thanking him graciously for the food.

 

“Here you are, enjoy! If you need anything, my name is Taeil.”

 

The server pointed to the name tag pinned against his button-down shirt in which the customer didn't even realize was there at first.

 

“Thank you, Taeil. I’m Johnny.”

 

After a few seconds, Johnny coughed, a bit embarrassed, realizing that it wasn't exactly necessary to enclose his own name to this so-called Taeil. Taeil, though, smiled at that and complimented it, telling him he had a cool name which he hadn't heard before. Flattered, Johnny thanked him again yet another time before trying the food laying on the table which had been waiting ever-so-patiently for him to consume. Johnny, after giving it a try, was surprised that the food was exceptionally good, as he continued to sip on the latté religiously and chow down on the small pastry, finding it to be gone far too soon.

The warmth of the latté traveling through his body, however, caused him to become a bit drowsy. It was late at night, and everything was so still, so quiet, so peaceful. He reflexively put a hand on his head to keep it from dropping completely, eyelids growing a bit heavy. He felt his eyelids slowly shutting, with him already beginning to drift off into his own world, and he continued on into an unintentional nap.

 

 

 

 

———— ❁ ————

 

 

 

 

“Um, sir? ...Johnny? ᴵᵗ ʷᵃˢ ᴶᵒʰᶰᶰʸ⋅⋅⋅ ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ﹖”

 

Johnny was awoken not too long later by a soft voice calling out to him and a familiar figure tapping him against the shoulder. Johnny, within seconds of realizing, sat up straight rather abruptly and apologized for drifting off in the midst of the small café. He rubbed his eyes a bit and his vision took time to focus on the Taeil standing at his side with the same smile on his face.

 

“It’s alright. We’re closing up soon, so you may want to finish up. Here’s the check.”

 

Taeil placed it gently against the table and gave him another small grin before going back to the counter. Johnny’s eyes swept from left to right noticing that the café was still empty, the stillness making the air as silent and even suffocating as ever. Johnny reached into his pockets and fished for his wallet, retrieving his credit card and placing it onto the receipt tray. He still felt incredibly embarrassed for falling asleep then and there, and decided to leave Taeil a tip a bit larger than intended.

As Johnny exited through the door with the bell jingling loudly in the midst of the quiet air, he saw, after Taeil waved goodbye, him writing in a small notebook. He didn’t pay it much mind, and continued to walk into the lighted city down the unpaved sidewalks to his slightly aged car. He checked the parking meter and realized that he may or may not have passed the time limit displayed on its shattered, foggy monitor.  _OH NO._  His heart nearly stopped as his head turned slowly to his dashboard, and sighed in relief to see no ticket plastered onto the window with scribbled handwriting stating the fine. Without further loitering, he slipped into the leather driver's seat and fastened his seat belt, taking the wheel and starting the car.

As he drove off into the night, he considered revisiting the cafe again tomorrow. 

 

 _'Why not?'_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally gathered up the courage to officially post and make one of my fics public, so i hope you like it so far! just as a future head's up, there's honestly no guarantee that i'll finish this or update often (hence, i'm also rather lacking as a writer ;;), but let's hope for the best! thank you very much for reading!


	2. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny dreaded his job more than anything else. How could he manage to get by if he was already struggling this much?

The sharp sound of an alarm clock pierced through the still air and echoed through the small apartment in which Johnny lived. In reluctance to get up, he could only wish he could continue to indulge in sleeping, covered and wrapped by the soft, fuzzy blanket, but work had taken the priority as always and the sound of the alarm clock frustrated him to no end. An audible groan sounded in sync with the alarm clock and he stumbled out of bed, nearly tripping on his pile of unwashed clothing, to slam and nearly destroy the alarm clock. Following a soft yawn, he ruffled his unmade hair and headed towards the tiny kitchen, fetching a small breakfast and getting himself ready. In an instance, he slipped into his car and started the engine, racing to work with only about 10 minutes to spare. With the sun only rising then, the deep blacks and bright reds in the sky were separated by a vibrant bright blue, clouds projecting the sun’s warm rays of colors. It was the least the sky could do to brighten up his morning, and it did calm him down with it’s perfect blend of unique hues.

 

He made it to work soon enough to not be called out by their manager and walked around ready to assist customers, though still feeling quite lethargic having just woken up and going back to his loathsome job. Johnny had worked in a busy department store for a little over a year, and he sure did hate it with a burning passion. Ending his shifts with painful limbs and little pay, he wouldn’t thrive for much longer. If the work in general wasn’t any worse, even the employees were rude to each other and would only bare fake smiles and saccharine voices when needing to assist any curious customers. Customers were decent, to say at the least, but there’s always the unpleasant ones that slither into the store each day and that’s never unprecedented. In the midst of his thinking, he looked up from the ground as he was pacing through the store to see a familiar person walking around the aisles, a confused look plastered on his face.

 

“Taeil?”

 

_Johnny called out. Taeil looked up instinctively at the said voice and smiled to see who called him._

 

“Oh, you’re the guy from last night. You work here?”

 

“Yes, that's right. Need some help?”

 

_Taeil thought to himself for a moment and looked from left to right._

 

“I’m looking for some good pots and pans. The ones at the café are getting worn out and I thought I’d buy some new ones for it.”

 

“Come with me, I'll find you them.”

 

_Johnny led the other through the aisles to the section of kitchen supplies and beyond. He looked through the shelves and eventually found the right kitchenware._

 

“Thank you, um… Johnny?.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got a name tag.”

 

_Now it was his turn to show off his nametag, leaving the other with a flustered chuckle._

 

“Do you work full-time at the café?”

 

“Technically yes, but I only work at night.”

 

Johnny scratched his head as the other began examining the kitchenware and then cleared his throat silently. Embarrassed, Johnny apologized once again for falling asleep unintentionally the night before. Taeil, however, said it was alright and it’s not a customer’s fault for doing that and in general, it wasn’t a fault at all considering how late it was. Additionally, he asked him very altruistically if he had been bothered or stressed by anything that would have caused him to be so tired. He responded by subtly complaining about how he doesn’t like his job whilst keeping his tone pragmatic.

 

“You shouldn’t stay in a job that you don’t want to be in. If you’re miserable, you’ll only suffer.”

 

“When you have bills to pay, there’s not much you can do.”

 

Taeil suddenly reached into his pocket after feeling his phone vibrate, and a shocked expression emerged on his face upon reading the name on his screen. Motioning an abrupt goodbye gesture to Johnny picking up some pots and pans as he answered the phone, he scurried off. He mouthed, “Thanks again!” to Johnny before hurrying away to the cash register, almost bumping into a few aisles. The call he got was probably urgent, having him rushing out like that out of nowhere. With a sigh, Johnny had to return to work and continue dragging himself through it until his shift was over and he finally got to race home.

 

———— ❁ ————

 

Yet another day went by that Johnny had to hear his same alarm clock, giving him a grim reminder that it was time to return to his dreaded job. He let out a grunt that was partially cranky, partially crying for help. “I _swear_ I’m gonna quit…” He muttered to himself angrily, wiping the drool that traveled to his cheek as he stood up from his bed and wobbled towards the kitchen. He checked the time, and to his surprise he woke up far earlier than he usual would. He shrugged it off initially as he went over to make himself some coffee, then realizing that he ran out of it. Maybe he’d just visit the café for some in a moment, knowing that he had plenty of time somehow. Did his drowsy self the night before actually do him a favor and accidentally set the alarm clock over an hour too early? Only he and his endless tire could answer that question.  
  
The sky was enveloped with clouds early that morning, with no hint of pigment as if mixing all paint colors onto a canvas, creating a mucky gray shade. Droplets of rain plopped loudly against his car as he drove, tilting themselves accordingly to the wind. Today was a rather gloomy day already, with the mix of rain causing streetlights and signs to appear blurry. Arriving to the cafe, he knew that it was early that morning, and Taeil probably worked the night shift. It was as if fate had called to him, however, as Taeil was fixing some tables when his head shot up to meet eyes with the other, and Johnny earning the other’s smile.

  
  
“Hello, Johnny.”

  
  
“I thought you worked at night?”

  
  
“I got moved to the day shift.”

 

_Johnny just nodded, and Taeil tilted his head and urged him to enter, his smile never leaving his face._

“Don’t just stand at the door like that; come on in!”

  
  
So that’s what he did. He wiped his shoes against the doormat hastily and walked in, vague squeaks sounding against the tile floor as he was leaded to a table. Johnny, however, instead asked the other if he could sit at the counter seats this time, and Taeil accepted the request, turning around and placing the menu on the counter as well and a cup of water with it.  
  
“What time should you be at work by?”  
  
“In an hour. Ugh, I want to quit so bad.”

  
“I’ve actually been thinking about that since yesterday. If you do happen to quit your job...”

  
_Taeil told him to hold on for a moment and he hurried to the employees’ break room. He came back quickly and leaned onto the counter._

  
“Why don’t you work here? We’re short on servers, and we get way more customers during winter months.”

  
_The younger put down the menu in his hands and furrowed his brow._

 

“Is there even anyone else who works here?”

 

**“HELLO.”**

 

_A person from behind the cafe’s kitchen waved at him, clearly drawing more attention than necessary. Everyone just ignored him though, and in response he went back to work wearing an overly-emphasized pout. Johnny turned back to Taeil with an appreciative look on his face._

 

“I’ll definitely consider it. Thanks for the suggestion, Taeil.”

 

Johnny looked at the clock hanging a slight bit crooked against the wall after the two continued to have a lengthy conversation and his eyes widened. He only had a little bit of time to spare, and he instead asked Taeil to simply give him a coffee to go. After gulping down the coffee a bit too quickly and miserably burning his mouth, he jumped into his car, nearly slipping on his way to it, and drove to work as quickly as he could without getting a ticket. He continued to think about Taeil's suggestion and began to consider whether he should try it or not. To be honest, anything would have been better than the job he had right now.

  
_‘A job at the café…’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading once again. as i've stated before, i won't be consistent in posting chapters or do it very often, but i do apologize if this chapter's a bit rushed and bland. either way, i hope you continue to read this fic if you're patient enough! ;; i'll explain who the other person working in the cafe is in the next chapter ;0


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